Veterinarians had to operate on one of the alligators at a Nebraska zoo to remove dozens of coins in its stomach.

During a routine checkup, veterinarians at the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium in Omaha found 70 U.S. coins in the stomach of the white alligator, a 36-year-old male named Thibodaux. The coins were removed Thursday. 

“A plastic pipe was placed to protect his mouth and safely pass the tools used to access the coins, such as a camera that helped us guide the retrieval of these objects,” said Christina Ploog, an associate veterinarian at the zoo.

Nearly $7 in coins were removed, Dr. Ploog told KETV-TV. 

Thibodaux is known for his all-white leucistic coloration, zoo officials said on Facebook, meaning that the gator has a partial loss of his pigmentation. As opposed to albinos, leucistic animals have blue eyes and can have some areas of skin with normal pigmentation.

Zoo officials reiterated on Facebook that visitors should not throw coins into bodies of water at the zoo. The other gators in the exhibit also will be examined and will be operated on if they, too, have coins in their stomachs, the zoo told KETV-TV.

Thibodaux is on loan from the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. A nest of leucistic white alligators was found in Louisiana in 1987, seven of which are still alive.

The first newborn descended from the lineage of that nest was born at the Gatorland theme park in Orlando, Florida, in December.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.